Acadia National Park Vehicle Reservations Required In October

This is a test.  This is a test of the new Acadia National Park vehicle reservation system.

A little thought will have to take place before a visit to Maine's most popular tourist attraction this October, as folks from the National Park Service get the kinks out before next year.

Driving to a couple of Acadia National Park's more popular destinations will require a vehicle reservation this October, between the 1st and the 18th.  This means that you'll have to take the time to register and pay the $2 fee before visiting both the Sand Beach area and the summit of Mt. Cadillac.

As you know, the Park has significantly gained in popularity over the years, so much so that now with 3.5 million visitors per year the summit road to the top of Cadillac has been closed numerous times.  Vehicle reservations will be required during the full season of 2021 in an effort to preserve the park's settings and cut down on traffic.

Vehicle reservations will be required for the Cadillac Summit Road between 4:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and the Sand Beach Entrance sections of the Park Loop Road which provides access to Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Ocean Path, the Beehive, Great Head, and Gorham Mountain, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.  There is a special vehicle reservation for just the Sunrise on the summit of Cadillac as well.

All other areas of the Park are accessible without a reservation.

The first thing you'll have to do is register an account with Recreation.gov. and then select a date to visit.  Then, pay the $2 fee.  Reservations will be made available on a "rolling basis" as much as 6 months in advance, with a few saved to be handed out 48 hours in advance.

There is nowhere within the Park itself to purchase a vehicle reservation, and you'll have to remember that if you leave the Park sometime during the day of your reservation, that you'll have to buy another reservation to get back in.

All the information about the new system can be found HERE.